Finding 'gender euphoria': Meet Quadrangle's trans navigator
Quadrangle's trans navigator program helps people through every step of their gender transition journey
A St. John's 2SLGBTQ+ group is relaunching a program that aims to be a guiding hand through gender transitioning.
Neska Savage is Quadrangle's dedicated "trans navigator," and holds a full-time position sponsored by the Toronto-based Sonor Foundation.
Those who wish to medically transition may want to take hormone replacement therapy. Savage is able to walk people though that process, as well as applying for MCP funding for various gender-affirming surgeries.
"From start to finish, we are always there to support any kind of gender affirming act," said Morgan Moakler Jessiman, the organization's previous trans navigator.
The program also helps with aspects of social transitioning, which might include the way someone presents themselves through clothing, or changing names.
It costs $135 to legally change a given name and receive a new birth certificate in Newfoundland and Labrador.
On top of that, changing gender markers on legal documents has its own separate fee.
Quadrangle's trans navigator program will cover that cost, along with any other administrative fees.
"One of the foundations of our trans nav program is being able to financially support people to go through their transitions," said Savage.
The federal government's 2SLGBTQ+ action plan from 2022 stated that Canadians in that community are more likely to live in poverty. The report also noted that 41 per cent had a total personal income of less than $20,000 a year, as of 2018.
With those statistics in mind, Savage said cutting costs related to transitions can be life changing.
A complicated process
Every transgender person's experience and decisions are unique, but Savage says it can be difficult in Newfoundland and Labrador.
St. John's journalist and community radio producer Rhea Rollmann knows that well.
As a transgender woman, Rollmann told CBC News there are several barriers to accessing gender-affirming care.
Family doctors are able to provide hormone replacement therapy, but people often have to go out of province to get transition-related surgeries — after they are deemed eligible by a physician or nurse practitioner.
Those surgeries, which may include chest surgery, genital surgery or reconstruction, are covered by MCP. Travel costs are not.
"As someone who's gone through the array of bureaucratic and medical systems out there, it can be a bit bewildering," said Rollmann.
'Gender euphoria'
Quadrangle is in the second year of the Sonor Foundation's two-year grant to facilitate the trans navigator program, but the organization hopes to continue long after that.
Savage says they have the capacity to give advice and smaller resources to anyone who needs it, but there are 10 individuals who need more "medium term" support.
"We have given out so much gender-affirming gear," said Moakler Jessiman.
Some of that gear includes chest binders, which make the wearer's breast area appear flatter. It's a popular choice among people transitioning to masculine identities.
"We've helped so many people find gender euphoria through this program," she continued. "The first time I went to Vital Statistics with a client to help them change their name … we went outside after and we hugged and cried."
Savage has had similar encounters during their time leading the program so far. Seeing family members of clients support their transition journeys has given them hope during a precarious time for the transgender community.
U.S. President Donald Trump's policies on transgender people — restricting their ability to travel and compete in sports in some cases — have instilled worry in the local community, Moakler Jessiman said.
Rollmann, who works on Memorial University's campus, said she has students come to her office. Some have wept in fear of their rights being taken away.
Despite some of those worries, Rollmann said the community is responding with creative initiatives.
"There's been a real response from the trans and queer community in both coming together and finding ways to experience positivity, while also fighting for change and fighting to protect, you know, the rights that we have," she said.
WATCH | Neska Savage wasn't expecting to see so much support for trans youth:
That's an important mandate for the staff at Quadrangle, too.
"Trans people are so sacred to this world," said Moakler Jessiman. "We have so much in this world because of trans and gender non-conforming people. And we're going to keep doing the work that we're doing, and that's never going to stop, no matter how bad or politically rocky it gets."
Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
